


The Fantastic Five

by pjlowry



Category: Spider-Man (Comicverse)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2019-10-11 03:04:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17438723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pjlowry/pseuds/pjlowry
Summary: Peter Parker receives the job offer of a lifetime from Mr. Fantastic himself: Reed Richards. With the fate of the world and possibly the universe at stake, how can he refuse?





	1. Chapter 1

When he was called to the office to visit the principal, Peter couldn't help but feel worried. He had been late and even missed a lot of class the last few weeks, but the Sinister Six didn't usually wait until after class hours to unleash their fiendish plans. If anything, Peter has begun to suspect that the villains discovered that Spider-Man was in high school so they staged their heists during the day, hoping that if he took the time to stop him, it was guaranteed to land the web-slinger in detention. At least his identity was safe for the time being, Peter thought to himself, because the last thing he needed right now was people gunning for his Aunt May. She was a wonderful person that took him in when he was left by his parents, so he didn't want to disappoint her. When Peter finally arrived to the office, the secretary pointed to the door behind her.

"They're waiting for you, Mr. Parker." She quietly informed him.

"They?" Peter repeated, "Who else is in there?"

"Just go inside and find out." The secretary answered, not in the mood to talk.

Peter nervously strolled into the office, afraid of who he'd find. The last time someone unexpectedly showed up it was the director of Shield, Nick Fury. As he walked in, there were no eye patches so he took a deep sigh and with that the principal noticed he was there.

"Parker!" the principal called out, "Come in, have a seat!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Smith," Peter started, "Am I in trouble for being late? I swear it won't happen again."

"You're not in trouble, Mr. Parker." The Principal assured him, "This meeting is strictly on the down low. Someone made inquires with the school board for the purpose of meeting with you. We respect him a great deal, and I think you should speak with him."

"Am I being shrinked?" Peter asked, worried that the school was going to force him to speak with a professional head doctor.

"No, though it wouldn't surprise me if he was qualified for that too." The principal honestly answered. "This is a great opportunity for you, Peter. I hope you'll at least hear him out."

"Hear who out?" Peter asked, "There's no one else in here."

"Excuse me," the Principal said as he stood up and walked out.

Peter sat there for what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes waiting for the Mr. Smith to enter the room. He never did.

Moments later, the door opened and a man who was not the principal walked in. Peter didn't recognize the man, but he was a little older than May, with brown hair that had a little silver on the sides, and he was lean man. He strolled in and took a seat where the principal was sitting. Peter didn't know what to think of this.

"Ahhh, hello?" he started.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Parker." The man said as he picked up a piece of paper, "I see you've been late and sometimes even non-existent for some of your classes lately. Care to explain why you're not interested in educating your young mind?"

"Things happen, I try my best." Peter replied, "But to be perfectly honest, I already know this stuff. You'd be surprised the education you can provide yourself with just a five dollar library card."

"Indeed," the man said with a smile on his face, "According to your library records, you're currently reading the works of Dr. Hawking. How are you finding his theories?"

Peter looked confused, "You watch our library records?"

"To be honest," the man replied, "You'd be surprised to know that our government watches us far more than they should. I may not agree with their methods but so far the results are hard to dispute."

"Do you work for Shield?" Peter then asked.

"No Mr. Parker," the man replied, "Fury wouldn't be happy if he knew I was meeting with you or if he knew that I was aware of your identity."

Peter sat there in stunned silence. Whoever this man was, he knew that Peter was Spider-Man and has approached him at school behind Shield's back. Rather than play along, Peter decided to play dumb.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He calmly replied.

"Let's not beat around the bush," The man said as he stood up, "I know why you're late for class, and I'm here to offer you a chance to make life easier and maybe raise the bar of your education to a level that fits your needs and might even challenge you a bit more."

"I'm sorry," Peter said, as he suddenly became aware of something, "But who are you?"

"That was rude of me," the man said as he extended a hand out for Peter to shake, "I'm Reed Richards."

Peter didn't move as he was too stunned to even raise his arm. The leader of the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards was standing before him. He had not recognized the man who was by far one of the smartest scientists in the country, if not the world.

"I read the paper you released last July," Peter suddenly blurted out, "I thought it was quite captivating."

"I know you did," Reed confirmed, "And that's why I'm here. Most if the kids here barely read beyond their own science textbooks, but you're reading my papers and even understand what they say. What I see in you is great potential."

"Really?" Peter said, doing his best not blush.

"Let me rephrase that," Reed said as he paced behind the principal's desk, "I see great potential that is being wasted."

"Oh," Peter said, as he sat back and sighed, "What do you think I should do about that?"

"It's easy, Mr. Parker." Reed said as he sat back down, "I'm here to recruit you. I'd like you to become the newest student of the Reed Foundation."

"I had no idea the foundation took in students," Peter replied, "How many students do you have right now?"

"Seven," Reed informed him, "None of them are as brilliant as you."

"So you want me to drop out of school?" Peter asked.

"Not exactly," Reed corrected him, "I'm asking you to take your classes privately within the foundation. You'll still get your diploma, but under my tutelage you'll have your have first university degree by the time you turn nineteen. These classes are beneath you Peter, so it's time to put your education into the passing lane. I have no doubt you'll be smart enough to do it, and still have plenty time to continue your after school activities as Spider-Man."

Peter stood up, "I don't know about this."

"Mr. Parker," Reed said as he also stood back up, "I'm not just offering you a spot with our foundation, I'm recruiting Spider-Man as well. I want him to join the team. Your skills as a superhero are also being wasted, and the Fantastic Four could use someone of your talent and skills."

"Wow, this is deep." Peter said, his mind racing.

"Peter, there are threats out there you have no idea about," Reed explained, "Some so godly that they would make the Sinister Six look like choir boys. If these villains have their way, we're talking about extinction. The end of the world as we know it, in other words global genocide."

"So what exactly are you telling me?" Peter asked.

"Your days in the minors are over," Reed said with a stern tone, "I'm calling you up to the show."

"Wow," Peter said, starching his head, "No pressure."

"This is also a job offer," Reed continued, "As a member of the team you'd get your own private quarters and the same salary everyone else makes. I'm not kidding around here Peter, the foundation and the world needs your help."

"You're not ready to take no for an answer, are you?" Peter asked, feeling the pressure as it was a very enticing offer.

"Peter, you're a brilliant young man and a talented crime fighter," Reed said, holding nothing back, "but the fact that your solo crusade hasn't gotten you killed is fortunate but no one is that lucky forever. Your recklessness will eventually be your downfall unless you have a team to support you. Joining our ranks not only makes us a better team, but you are no longer burdened to take on the world by yourself. The next time the Sinister Six tries to attack the city you'll have all four of us to back you up."

"Wow," Peter said as he never thought of it that way. "So I'm not losing my independence, but gaining a team?"

"I prefer to think of it as gaining a family," Reed confessed, "That's how we act around one another. We want you to be a part of that and to one day rise to the top of our ranks."

"Say again?" Peter asked.

"Peter," Reed said, in a tone that sounded more sincere. "If I've learned anything from the secret and infinity wars, it's that life is previous and can be cut off at any moment. There's going to come a day when Reed Richards won't be around to solve the world's problems. Who are they going to turn to when that happens? Hank?"

"I don't know who Hank is," Peter replied, "But I kind of see where you going with all this. You just don't want me to join the team. You want to groom me to be your eventual replacement, the next leader of team fantastic."

"It's a thankless job," Reed confessed, "but I don't think there is anyone else out there who might be smart enough to adequately fill those shoes. Yes, Peter, I want to take over the team when I move or pass on. I hope that day doesn't come too soon, but I'm not taking any chances. I want to start making plans for the future fantastic four today."

"But if I join, wouldn't that make us a fantastic five?" Peter asked.

"It would," Reed confirmed, "I bought the copyright to it earlier this week."

"Well then," Peter said as he couldn't believe the words about to leave his mouth, "I guess I accept."

"While I appreciate your enthusiasm," Reed countered, "This is a tad premature because you need to hear the conditions of accepting the job. There are some major stipulations that you'll have to accept in order to join the team."

"Such as?" Peter asked.

"You new living arrangements," Reed replied, "Like I mentioned before, a condo at Reed Tower will be yours, fully furnished will all the amenities the other members enjoy such as maid and room service."

"I can't live with Aunt May?" Peter said, bummed out.

"You'll going to be like a galactic fire fighter," Reed explained to him, "You're required to live at the firehouse so we can all dispatch quickly when summoned to defend the planet."

"That makes sense," Peter said, "but May will never approve of this."

"I am confident that your Aunt May will understand," Reed said, "Once we explain everything to her."

"Everything?" Peter repeated.

"Everything," Reed confirmed. "I don't think you realize Peter, the sole reason we have the public's trusts us is because we don't hide anything from them. The Reed Foundation is completely transparent to our elected officials as we answer to the government and never wear any masks. We have their trust, and that is a valuable tool to have. When I order the any city in this country to evacuate, they do so without question or hesitation. That kind of trust must be earned, and you can't keep secrets from anyone if you're going to join our ranks. That includes your Aunt May."

"What if she says no?" Peter asked, "She's my legal guardian."

"There are ways around that," Reed answered, "I have a fleet of high priced New York lawyers that could have you emancipated by the end of the week. Your high intelligence and potential contribution to world safety under my guidance would make it a slam dunk in the courts. What this means Peter is that this decision is yours and yours alone. You have to decide what you want to do with your future, and I'm afraid you have to do it right now."

Peter was stunned by this revelation. If he wanted to join the fantastic four, thus making them a five, it was up completely to him. While he was nervous about revealing his identity, the thought of just being Peter and not a masked freak might be what he needed to gain the public trust. Reed's support would make it easier for the people trust him since Reed already the people's undying devotion. They would trust him without hesitation if he vouched for Peter as a valued member. Even J. Jonah wouldn't have the nerve to challenge the creditably of Mr. Fantastic himself. Learning in the best laboratories through the Reed foundation and doing work with Reed would allow Peter to make a real difference in the world. Peter could literally do anything with that kind of guidance and funding, while being groomed to replace him as the leader of future fantastic four. He turned to the man standing before him, smiling at the thought.

"I want to do it," Peter said to him, "I accept your offer."

Reed could tell by the tone in his voice now that Peter really meant it. "I have no doubt that you made the right choice. You could have made a very valuable member of Shield, but with us your potential is limitless. Now all we need to do is break the news to your Aunt. As your only living family member, she deserves to know the truth about what's going on long before we go public with this."

Peter sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

"Try to relax Peter," Reed said, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Your days of facing the world alone are over. You're a member of a team now. I'll be there for support and to chip in relevant information that might need adding."

"That might make this a bit easier," Peter concurred.

"Let's get going," Reed said to him, "As much as you'll miss your friends, it's time to take your education and training to the next level."


	2. Chapter 2

When the limo first pulled up in front of her home, May actually didn't think much of it. She naturally assumed that Peter was getting a ride home with Harry. Seconds later a thought then stopped her in her tracks: it was only two in the afternoon. The kids should still be in school. May walked up to the front door to see Peter was coming up the stairs with a man she had never met before. She opened the door, and had that look on her face that told Peter that she wasn't impressed to see him that time of day.

"Peter," She started, "Shouldn't you be in school right now?"

"The principal excused him for the day, Ma'am." The man behind Peter replied, "So that we could speak to you about something that is very important."

"Is Peter in trouble?" May asked, worried that man behind her was a cop.

"Not yet," Peter said as he walked past her into the house.

When both men were in the living room, this was when May's patience began to wear thing. "I'd like someone to speak, preferably to explain who this man is and what you're going doing here."

"You see," The man told Peter, "This is what I was talking about. Unless they see the uniform, you can walk through the streets virtually undetected."

"What uniform?" May asked.

Reed Richards was wearing a brown trench coat, but was surprised that May hadn't noticed that has were white boots that completely clashed with it. In order to authenticate himself quickly, Richards had changed into his Fantastic Four uniform. He took off the coat to reveal himself and his bright blue uniform to May that was instantly recognizable. May looked at him for a moment, and then at the famous four logo on his chest and then back at Reed.

"Are you kidding me?" she softly asked.

"I'm afraid not Ms. Parker," Reed said as he reached out to offer her a hand to shake. The thing was Reed was still on the other side of the room and his hand was reaching all the way over to her, proving he really was Mr. Fantastic. May softly shook his hand and then watched in silence as the hand returned back to Reed and looked normal again.

"My name is Reed Richards," Reed said to her, "As I said at the door, we need to speak to you about something of grave importance."

"Ah huh," May said as she sat down, "And you need our help?"

"Mainly Peter's," Reed confirmed, "You see, I'm here because I want Peter to join the Reed Foundation and become one of our exclusive students."

"I didn't know the Reed Foundation had a school," May noted.

"This isn't a secret school Ms. Parker," Reed said as he took a seat on the couch opposite of her. "But we don't exactly advertise it to the public as well. We only have six students from around the world, geniuses that were not being given the chance to learn and function at their full potential. I'm here because I happen to believe Peter is such a genius whose talent and intelligence is being wasted in the public education system. I believe that if Peter resumes his studies full time with the rest of our students at the foundation, Peter's potential is limitless."

"Really?" May said. She knew Peter was smart but she had no idea genius what even part of the discussion. "So you want to remove him from his current school and move him to yours?"

"If only it were that simple," Peter said, trying to brace himself.

"Actually, I'm also here to offer Peter a job." Reed continued, "I'd like Peter to become a member of the Fantastic Four."

This was when May's eyes went as wide as saucers. It was one thing to ask Peter to move to a new school, but now he was asking Peter to join a team of superheroes, and that was not going to fly with her.

"No," May simply said to him, "That's not going to happen."

"I'm sorry Ms. Parker," Reed apologized, "You need to be given all the relevant data before making an informed decision."

"Is that so?" May said, as she started to take a challenging tone. "What information am I missing that would make me consent to Peter joining a team of superheroes and risk his life all the time?"

"Peter," Reed said, turning to the young man sitting beside him, "This is not my secret to share. She needs to hear it from you."

"Hear what?" May said, looking over at Peter.

"May," Peter said, standing up to face her. "There's something about me that you are not going to believe."

"Is that so?" May asked, looking at the young man. "What exactly have you been keeping from me for the last..."

"For the last sixteen months," Peter finished for her.

"Okay," May said, folding her arms. "This outta be good."

"Do you remember the day I got sick after visiting the Osborne building?" Peter asked her, "The fever that I had for three days that just magically disappeared?" 

May counted the months in her head and that checked out, "I do."

"I wasn't sick with the flu," Peter continued, "I was bitten by an animal that infected me with radioactive serum."

"What kind of animal?" May then asked.

Peter took a deep breath. "A spider."

"You were bitten by a radio-active spider?" May said, and upon hearing those word something in her head clicked. That was around the same time Ben had died, but it was also around the exact time that a certain superhero started web slinging around the city. She looked back at Peter with her eyes even wider. "NO!"

Peter didn't say a word, but instead responded by unbuttoning his shirt, which had the Spider-Man uniform on underneath it. May looked at the uniform and then at Richards and then back at Peter. She covered her mouth up with her hand, and looked like she was about to cry.

"May, I'm sorry." Peter said, as he could tell how upset she was.

"All this time," May said to him, "You've been out there fighting all these bad people, almost getting yourself killed!"

"Ms. Parker," Reed said, as he also stood up to get between the two. "This is also the reason why I'm here. I also happen to think Peter has been recklessly endangering himself and want to bring that kind of gunslinger mentality to an end."

"By risking his life for your foundation?" She asked him.

"No," Reed retorted, "But making him a part of a team, and not allowing Peter to bare all the work himself and thus endanger himself every day."

"Can you guys stop talking like I'm not even here?" Peter asked.

"So this whole genius and school thing was just a cover?" May then asked.

"No, that part is still true." Reed informed her, "Peter is a genius whose potential is being terribly wasted. I want to personally assume command of his education and present Peter with a curriculum that with actually challenge him and enhance his education as a far greater pace."

May paused for a moment, "So you want to become his teacher?"

"I don't think there is anyone out there smart enough to handle it," Reed replied, trying his best no to toot his own horn. "If Peter reaches his full potential, there is a good chance he might become even smarter than I, and that will benefit all mankind."

"Okay," May said, trying to wrap her head around everything that was being dropped on her lap. "Even if I believed you for a moment that Peter really is..."

She stopped mid sentence because she had finally noticed something. While Reed and May were talking about Peter's alleged genius, Peter had taken a seat to wait for them to stop talking... on the ceiling. It was sitting there with his legs folded, as if it was in doing a Buddhist meditation, and he had his arms folded like May had earlier in the conversation. Before his stunned Aunt could say anything, Peter used his web shooter and fired a web down beside her, which grabbed the television remote, and pulled it up to his own hand.

"If you guys want to keep talking like that, do it in the kitchen." Peter told them both. "I'm going to watch something on TV."

May could tell by the look on Peter's face that he was upset about something but chose to walk away like he asked, and Reed followed. She strolled right up to the fridge and pulled out a full bottle of wine. Once she took the bottle out of the fridge, she sighed. "I forgot the wine glasses."

"One moment," Reed said as he stretched both of his arms out into the living room, grabbed two glasses and brought them back in. "There you go."

As she was pouring two glasses she couldn't help but chuckle, "I should have known something was up last summer when Stark came to visit."

"Ahhh, Mr. Stark." Reed said, graciously taking a glass from May, "He was here on behalf of a government agency known as Shield."

"So he was just here recruit Peter, I mean Spider-Man, for the government?" May said, seeming upset. "I thought he was using Peter to get to me!"

"Knowing Stark as I do," Reed added, "that is very possible as well."

"That figures," May said taking big gulp from her glass. "This is crazy."

"It's about to get a lot crazier," Reed informed her, "What we're asking of Peter is not minute; this is a job and career that is going to change the world. He's going to become a vital part of an elite squad of heroes. The entire world is going to know who he is, just like Johnny and Ben."

"Wait, what?" May said as she had just polished off her glass and was already working on a refill.

"In order to join our ranks," Reed continued, "Peter will have to discard the mask and reveal himself to the world. It's a part of an agreement we have with the government and the people of the United States of America. This will have a significant impact on you as well, Ms. Parker."

"What kind of impact?" May asked.

"The moment Peter reveals himself to the world," Reed replied, "You might as well paint a large bull's-eye on the roof. I don't think I have to remind you of just how many enemies Spider-Man has made in such a short time. This will put your life in great danger."

"What am I going to do?" May inquired, hoping Reed had an answer.

"The foundation has a program," Reed said as he reached out into the living room again, grabbing some paperwork from the coat and bring it back to the kitchen. It was a flyer about a small town in Colorado.

"What is this?" she asked, "witness relocation?"

"More like superhero family relocation," Reed corrected her, "This town is made up mainly of family members of super powered heroes. I created this town myself, and used it as a haven for people who are even just remotely related to a superhero. If you great, great uncle is Charles Xavier, or your distant cousin is Ms. Marvel, then you qualify to relocate to this small town. This town is protected by security measures that were created myself and never used in public. No villain would dare go near this town because it would spell their doom. One such security measure is the retirement home, which I thought was an act of genius on my part."

"How does a retirement home protect the town?" May asked.

"It's a retirement home... for superheroes," Reed answered, "If anyone were able to get past my enhanced defense grid and attack that town, these heroes would be the last line of defense, and a quite formidable one at that. There's over two hundred high powered beings in the building, and some of them have been itching to pulverise someone bad for a while now. No one is brave enough to offer them the chance to do so. Just based on that alone, I've heard many villains state away from the state, much less the town. This is the real reason why the crime rate in Colorado has been plummeting over the last two decades."

"And I have to move here?" May asked. "For how long?"

"As long as you want," Reed said, "No one will force you to live there Ms. Parker, but this is the only place where we can guarantee your safety. This has always been Peter's biggest fear; someone coming here to punish him for protecting the city by harming you, his only family. He's not the only one who has this fear, my town is full of people that help super powered beings sleep at night. If they are confident their families are safe, they capable of doing their jobs and are safer doing it. This will help Peter do his job without the fear that sometimes holds him back."

May drank half of her second glass. "I can't believe he held a secret from me."

"This is a burden most heroes must carry," Reed continued, "But I can assure you that people like myself and Stark are better at what we do because we're not carrying that burden with us. This will have a similar effect on Peter when he removes the mask and tells the world who he really is. But we won't do that reveal until you're moved out and safely relocated."

"Peter has already agreed to this?" May asked.

"He has," Reed confirmed, "But I feel he needs your support to make it work."

"What about my job?" May asked.

"There is plenty of jobs in this town, many that will benefit everyone." Reed countered, "Since inclusion is limited and screened, extra hands are always needed, especially in your field of expertise. Your moving there will help the town just as much as it would help you and Peter."

"Alright," May said as she finished her glass, "Let's talk to Peter."

As she strolled into the room, Peter was doing the thing he always did when he was nervous, which was pace around the room. This time however he was doing his pacing upside down on the ceiling.

"And all this time," May said out loud, "I thought bats were causing the dirt patterns on my ceiling. Get down from there!"

Peter hopped off the ceiling and onto the floor with a leap that would get a ten star rating at any gymnastics event. He stood there, waiting to be told off but his Aunt had decided to approach this a different way.

"That night you said Flash beat you up," May started, "Who was it really?"

"Doctor Otto Octavious," Peter answered.

"And the week you fractured your collarbone?"

"The Rhino."

"And who was that creepy man in outside smoking cigars?"

"That was Logan," Peter replied, "He's not here anymore."

"And finally," May said, "Who really broke my piano?"

"That was Bruce," Peter replied, "But it was an accident. He's a nice guy when he's not angry."

May took a deep breath. "How long do I have to pack?"

"I can have professionals here within a hour." Reed answered, as he grabbed a small scanner from the coat. "This device was used to scan your house and its structure. The robots will have an exact duplicate constructed with three days. Your new home will look exactly like your old home. We do this to make the move to town as comfortable as possible."

"Peter," May said as she walked up to hug her nephew. "Try to not to take unnecessary risks. This world wouldn't be the same if I lost you."

"This change assures that," Peter told her, "And will make the world a safer place too."

"I hate to interrupt," Reed said as he put his coat back on, "But Peter and I need to conduct some business at the tower, formalize our deal. I can have him back in a few hours if you'd like to talk about this more."

"Alright," May said, "Have him back by seven."

"Barring any Galactic events," Reed replied, "I can all but guarantee that."

"And you," May said, giving Peter another hug, "Tonight we are going to talk a bout everything. Not holding back. Full disclosure. Understood?"

"Understood," Peter replied, "Write down your questions and I'll answer all of them for you, fully and honestly."

As the two of them left the house, Reed seemed particularly thrilled. "That went about as well as it could have. Your Aunt is something special. I've seen people completely flip out at moments like that, literally furniture flying because of it. She has nerves of steel, that woman."

"I'm lucky to have her." Peter agreed, "So now what? What urgent business do we have to get to?"

"Now comes the tough part," Reed answered.

"Wait, that wasn't the tough part?" Peter asked.

"Not even close." Reed replied, "Now we have to introduce you, the real Spiderman, to the rest of the fantastic four..."


	3. Chapter 3

Peter thought he was going to have some time to think about what he was going to say, but the trip to Reed's tower was a lot faster than the ride they took from the school to Aunt May's house. After the two men buckled in, the limo had engines underneath it ignite and the car started to hover upwards into the air. Once it was a good forty feet off the ground, the booster in the back fired and the car began to fly back towards the downtown part of the city.

"I didn't realize this was a flying car!" Peter said as he held on for dear life.

"Traffic this time of day is terrible," Reed answered, "And this will help us get you back to the house by seven as we promised."

"Okay," Peter said, looking out the window. "How long will it take..."

"On approach to the Tower," The driver called back.

Moments later the car slowed down as it reached the hanger of Reed Tower in the middle of the city. The engines below the car ignited again and slowly lowered the car to softly touchdown in the large hanger. Reed opened the door and stepped out. As Peter exited the car behind her, he could see Reed walk up to a woman that was on the other side of the large room. She seemed to be working on something scientific but put the work on hold to hug Reed and greet him. She had long blonde hair and was wearing the same blue uniform that Reed had on. There was no doubt about it Peter thought to himself as he walked closer, that was Sue Richards, the invisible woman.

"I didn't know you were taking the car out," Sue said to Reed, "What kind of business were you doing in uniform?"

"Recruiting," Reed replied, gesturing to Peter. "I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Peter."

"Peter," Sue said trying to recall someone, "I don't remember you talking to me about him."

"I've been keeping this one close to my chest," Reed honestly answered, "Shield has been trying to claim him for almost a year now."

"Shield?" Sue repeated thinking about it. "Who did they send to recruit him?"

"Nick Fury himself," Reed answered, "But I was just informed by his Aunt that Stark was involved as well."

"Was he?" Sue said, sounding impressed. "And what do we want him for?"

"Peter is the newest student of the G-class." Reed said as he tried to be cool with his answers, "And I've also asked him to join the team."

"Excuse me?" Sue said, almost shocked as Aunt May was. It was clear that Reed hadn't passed this by his wife, something even Peter knew was a big no no. "This kid is going to join our team? With me, Johnny and Ben?"

"Yes," Reed confirmed, "He is."

"I'm sorry... how old are you?" she then asked, looking over at Peter.

"I'll be sixteen in August." Peter replied.

"He's not even old enough to drive!" Sue said, scolding Reed with her tone, "And you want him coming with us and fight super villains?"

"Sue, you haven't even given me a chance to explain." Reed countered, "Once you know everything that I know, you'll have no issue with him being on the team. Once you understand his unique resume, you're doubts will wash away."

Sue could tell he was cranking the charm, but wasn't buying it. "He's a child."

"A super powered child." Reed corrected.

Sue turned back to Peter, "You have powers?"

"A few," Peter answered modestly.

Sue turned back to face her husband. "Who is this kid?"

"A superhero," Reed answered, "Trust me Sue, I've landed a big fish."

"And you also want him in the G-class?" Sue continued, "How smart is he?"

"One day I see him taking my place," Reed told her, "I've found my protégé."

Sue was stunned to hear the word come from Reed's mouth. They had talked about him taking one of the G-Class students under his wing, to groom him or her to eventually take over the Fantastic Four, but Reed had always been reluctant to pick someone. Now out of the blue he came home with someone new he selected himself.

"Oh, Reed." Sue said, understanding what a big decision this was, "Is he really that smart?"

"The rest of the G-Class has nothing on him," Reed confirmed, "The fact that he's also a super powered hero is icing on the cake."

"Him?" a voice called out, "A super hero?"

Peter looked up and was suddenly in awe as the massive build of Ben Grimm, also known as The Thing, strolled into the massive hanger in the middle of Reed conversation with Sue.

"Hello Ben," Reed called up to the big rock, "How much of that did you hear?"

"Am I not allowed to partake in talks about team business?" Ben retorted.

"Of course not," Reed replied, "Just wanted to know how much you missed so that I can catch you up."

"Oh," Ben replied, "I just heard something about a new team member."

Suddenly there was a flash of fire, and another man in the same Fantastic Four uniform, but with short blonde hair like Sue was also now in the room beside Ben.

"A new member?" Johnny repeated, "When can we meet him?"

"Or her," Ben corrected, "Don't make assumptions."

"Thank you Ben," Sue replied, "But your new member is over there."

The two men looked up to realize that she was pointing at Peter, the scrawny looking kid who was still standing there.

"Hey guys," Peter called out, "Big fan."

"Him?" Johnny said, looking over at Peter. "Is this a joke?"

"No joke," Reed called back.

"He's not old enough to vote!" Ben said, almost growling.

"He's not even old enough to drive!" Sue then added.

"He's not even sixteen?" Johnny said, stunned.

"I will be in August," Peter repeated, "It's not that far away."

"Do not judge a book by its cover," Reed said, ready to defend his decision to everyone. "This young man will make an exceptional addition to our squad."

"Says who?" Johnny asked.

"Me," Reed replied, "Isn't that enough?"

"It is for me," Ben then said, "I trust you completely."

"Not for me," Johnny said, looking over at Peter, "Get ready for your audition, kid... FLAME ON!"

The moment the word audition was uttered from his mouth; Peter had spread his feet apart, aware of what was coming next. He had no time to change so he was about to reveal his true identity to the fantastic four the hard way, especially to Johnny Storm. As Johnny flung fire shots towards Peter, he had already leaped into the air, lifting himself up at least fifteen feet. The leap shocked everyone in the room, especially Johnny, as that height brought the two men face to face with the Human Torch, who had assumed he would dominate the high ground. He was wrong. Before Johnny could respond Peter moved first as he rolled into a back flip, using the momentum from that flip to kick Johnny under the chin with one of his feet, knocking him back. The other three members watched in awe as Johnny came crashing the floor while Peter sailed back to the car and landed on the hood with ease. Peter took a deep breath because his next move was going to all but confirm his true identity to the rest of the team. Before Johnny could try to get back to his feet, Peter unleashed a fury of webs from his shooters, gluing the human torch to the ground.

"Okay," Ben admitted, "That was impressive."

Sue walked over to where Johnny was lying and began to examine the webbing that was retraining her brother to the ground. She looked back up at Peter with different eyes as she suddenly put two and two together.

"This can't be," she said, looking over at Reed, "Is it really him?"

"It is," Reed said, smiling back at her.

Before Peter could respond, Sue disappeared. It was the first time Peter had ever seen someone disappear like that with his own eyes. Seconds later his spidey senses were going off and he leaped back. Moments later they were going off again and this time he caught something and flung it over his shoulder. He had caught Sue's hand as she tried to hit him, and she landed on the ground beside Johnny.

"Who is this kid?" Ben called out.

Peter responded by removing his coat and shirt, to reveal the uniform underneath. "Just your average, neighborhood Spider-Man."

Johnny flamed back on and dissolved the webbing that was around him. The flames went out once he was back on his feet. "Wow, I did not see that coming."

"That's amazing," Sue said as she also got back to her feet, "No one has ever been able to catch me like that. How did you know where I was?"

"It's quite brilliant, actually," Reed answered as he walked over, "One of Peter's many abilities is a natural feeling, referred to as his 'spider-sense', which manifests at the base of his skull. This sensation alerts him to personal danger, and the range of his warnings can also vary in proportion to the severity of the danger. For example, he would feel a small tingling if he would happen to pass by an enemy by accident, which would prompt him to be alert. While a strong tingling, sometimes to the point of being painful, would command him to take immediate evasive action from an incoming deadly threat. It appears to be a simultaneous response to a wide variety of phenomena."

"Yeah," Peter confirmed, "What he said."

"That's incredible," Johnny said, "This means no one can ambush us if he's on the field with us, right?"

"Precisely," Reed said, "That's just one of many talents Peter has."

"Spider-Man," Ben said as he walked closer, "Life is just full of surprises."

"Dude," Johnny said as he walked over and shook Peter's hand, "I saw that clip of you taking out the Goblin last year. That was some hardcore action. You totally got some great moves."

"Thanks," Peter said, smiling back at Johnny. "I thought your fight with Doom in Times Square was pretty impressive too."

"That was a team effort," Reed informed him, "I suggest you get used to that concept Peter, because from here on we work as a unit."

"So you're serious?" Johnny repeated, "Spidey's gonna join the foundation?"

"No just the foundation," Reed acknowledged, "Peter is going to be the fifth member of our team."

"Wait," Johnny replied, "That would make us..."

"Five, yes." Reed said, preventing Johnny from hurting himself, "Two weeks from now, we are going to introduce Peter to the public. He will become the newest member to our new brand, which will be known as the Fantastic Five."

"Cool," Johnny said. Then his face then lit up and he raised his arms in celebration as he realized something else. "New uniforms! Yes!"

"Thank goodness," Ben added, "This one was really chaffing me."

"Johnny, Ben," Reed said, using a commanding tone. "Please show Peter to room 706, which is going to be his new quarters."

"This way kid," Ben said he slowly started to walk to the hallway, "I'll show you to your new crib."

"It's a cool spot," Johnny confirmed, "You're right next door to me!"

"That's cool," Peter said as he walked behind them and into the hall.

Sue watched as Peter walked out with Johnny and Ben and then turned to face her husband. She was near tears, and Reed could tell what was upsetting her. "I had no idea he was so young. I just thought he was short, like Logan."

"It's all right, Sue." Reed said as he walked over a hugged his wife. "It took me a few days to grasp the reality of Spider-Man when I discovered the truth. He's been fighting super powered villains since he was thirteen. How he's survived this long is nothing short of a miracle or an indication of how smart and powerful he is and could be when he becomes an adult."

"He's really that smart?" Sue asked again, finding it hard to believe that someone so strong could also be so intelligent, basically the total package.

"He is," Reed confirmed again, "Those webs are not natural; they come from mechanical shooters attached to his arms. He built them himself using only spare parts from electronics he fished out of dumpsters."

"That's as impressive as Stark building an arc reactor in a cave," Sue replied, "No wonder Shield has been trying to enlist him."

"Precisely," Reed agreed, "He builds weapons out of garbage, so just imagine what kind of stuff he'll construct in our facility?"

"I get it," Sue said, now fully understanding her husband, "He really does have what it takes to be your protégé."

"We're just scrapping the tip of the iceberg." Reed admitted, "According to his school records, he we showing signs of genius before he became Spider-Man, but whatever trans-mutated him into the hero also enhanced his intelligence tenfold. He was very smart before he became a hero, but his intelligence has been through the roof ever since. Under my wing and with the G-Class, Peter's potential will be limitless."

"He's still a child," Sue repeated.

"He is," Reed said, putting an arm around her, "But he's with us now. We'll take good care of him, just like Johnny and Ben. Would you prefer he go back out and fight all the super villains by himself?"

"No," Sue answered, "He's safer with us."

"He'll be in good hands," Reed agreed, "And we'll be a better team for it too."

"The fantastic five," Sue said out loud, "It doesn't sound too bad."

"You'll get used it," Reed replied, "So will the rest of the world when they're introduced to our newest member: Peter Parker, the human spider."


End file.
